Chris & Patrick's VWL 7/5/13 Floral Update!!! 1/18/13

NEVER too early, right??! We (and by we I mean me, and Patrick when hes forced to, lolol!) have been scouring the Wedding Forum since we first started looking at rings in late December. And. Im only joking about P, really. Hes a wonderful man who has made my every dream come true since I first met him. But. While hes all about pleasing me (and whats not to like about that, right? ) Im about our wedding day being about US and not just the bride. No, really, its totally true!

A little backstory

First, heres the happy couple!

This is not the first rodeo, so to speak , for either of us. So. We wanted to keep this simple, elegant and oh-so-very-Disney. Which is how we first met. Which is another story unto itself, lolol! We own DVC at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, our second most special place in the world (whats the first, you ask? Why, that would be anywhere the other one was. No, really!) So, I was thrilled to see we could do an Escape Wedding there! We first looked at the Memory Collection but, for some strange reason, even though the space at VWL can accommodate up to 10 people for the Escape wedding ceremony, they only allow up to 8 for the Memory ceremony. Whats up with that, anyway?? Same space, seems like it should allow for the same amount of people, right??

Anyway. We have 5 children between us, plus some of them have significant others, so were a party of 10. Phew!!! I just cant imagine having our wedding anywhere but there. Really, truly. I LOVE the Wedding Pavillion, I really do, but neither of us are particularly religious and it just seems too church like of an atmosphere. Plus. Did I mention we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE VWL?

Umm. A small confession here. When we first met, I was a diehard Polynesian fan. I mean, DIE HARD. But. I have come to love and appreciate the simple beauty that is the Wilderness Lodge and now I wouldnt stay anywhere else. Although. I have made it clear that if there ever comes a day when they build a DVC at the Poly we are going to need more points!!!

To recap. Were hoping for an Escape wedding at 2:30pm on the Sunrise Terrace at VWL on July 5, 2013. Just our own Modern Family. Believe it or not, I already have a dress and I go for my first fitting next Saturday! Ive been working on a DIY wedding invite  something simple, elegant and Disney, lol! Its got a hunter green petal fold thingie that were going to use as an envelope:

The invite will look like this:

Ive had stamps made from that picture of us (see above) and had sticker thingies made to close the petals from a picture Patrick took of the Lodge when we were last there:

The plan is to take photos around the resort, and hopefully have time to take just one or two and the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian, then have dinner at Artist Point at 5:30.

Weve (and again, by we I mean me ) found tons of inspiration photos from all of you ladies from DIY projects to photo poses. Oh!!!!! I forgot to say, we are DEFINITELY (yes, Patrick, I know youre reading this and Im saying DEFINITELY) having a MK photo shoot. Right now leaning toward morning of ceremony, but it seems like you kind of have to take what you can get? Im sure Ill be posting lots of these pictures and Ill apologize from the get-go for pilfering them and being unable to give credit where credit is due. Because I have no clue now where I found them all!

Thats it for now, except to say, Im so excited to be a DFTW couple!!!!

Oh! So. That wasnt it. Oops! I forgot to show my ring! I totally love it, and the story that goes with it. But. I think my Ring King might like a hand in the telling. So. Ill leave that to him!

First, let me just clarify the title of this thread--we do not own pajamas that say "It's Never Too Early to Start a Planning Journal" printed on them. . .well, at least I don't. That is not to say we don't sit around in our PJs typing on said thread, but that's a whole other story.

“You liar!” Those were her first words after I proposed. I kid you not. Is that any way to speak to one’s new fiancé?

I suppose you want the back story, however, the events leading up to the moment I popped the question, huh? There is a tale to be sure, a mixture of one part intrigue, one part romance, one part daring, and one part, well. . .lying.

After Christmas, LOML (see our cruise TR for the definition of LOML; here’s the link http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2795708 ) and I headed out to look at rings. We had been talking about getting married, and one quiet evening I did ask if she could manage to put up with me and be my partner in a legal sort of way (our hearts were there already). Her assent provided the impetus to go look at rings, and at our first stop, we found the setting and primary stone that thrilled her. We spent well over an hour fine-tuning the choice (the one pictured above), but we didn’t purchase it before we left. I wanted to ensure this ring was THE one, and I’ve always been leery of making a large purchase on a whim. I did put down a small deposit to hold the ring and stone while we looked at other jewelers to be absolutely positive of our choice. After a few hours of fruitless searching, we drove home to talk over the day. But, even I knew that the first ring was THE ring she desired.

Here, I must veer into a brief digression. Chris would accept a Cracker Jack ring and love it if my intent was pure and honest. She is that kind of woman—loving, understanding, dedicated, and unselfish. But, how can a man not want to give the woman of his dreams that perfect ring? There was never any doubt I would get it for her. I also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that had we bought the ring that day and waited for it to be mounted with the stone, she wouldn’t take it off her finger. I’d have been formally proposing in the parking lot! That was not going to happen. I told her that I would take care of getting the ring.

What Chris didn’t know is that I had plan. . .a plan to make the proposal special. A few days after finding the ring, she had to return to work while I still had a couple of days off. Heh-heh-heh. On my last day before going back to work, I called ahead to the jeweler to ensure they could have the ring done that day, and I left to go pick it up. What you don’t know is that the jeweler was a two-hour drive away and that the jeweler would need three hours to complete the sizing and setting. Unknown to my lovely bride-to-be, I left for the jeweler within 10 minutes of her going to work that day. Naturally, the jeweler wouldn’t touch the ring until I had made arrangements to pay for the entire ring, not just that small down payment. I strode into the store, signed on many dotted lines, and then had to hang around the nearby mall waiting for the ring to be set, all the while hoping it would be ready in time for me to get home before LOML got home from work. It was and I arrived home a full 30 minutes before she did. Whew! In that intervening time, I hid the ring (which had come in a nice gift box complete with a silk bow) in one of my drawers—a simple but effective hiding place since it contained my summer time shorts and this was the dead of winter.

Over dinner, I told Chris that I had talked to our salesperson and had purchased the ring. “Really?! You did?!” she piped up excitedly. “When will it be ready?” She is always one to get to the point.

“Unfortunately,” I replied, “the ring possibly won’t be ready until as late as April.” I told you there was lying involved.

“WHAT???!!!” The predictable response.

“Well, as you know, it was a Signature series ring, and they needed to special order the correct-sized setting, they said. Honestly, I don’t mind waiting to get just what we want,” I replied. . .calmly, hoping she’d take the bait. She did.

“Hmpf. Well, okay. I guess you’re right. . .but April?” She wasn’t giving up easily. “That seems like a long time out. But, I suppose they want to get it just right.” Yep, go with that, I thought.

From that moment forward, almost daily for the next two weeks, she asked if I’d heard any update, if perhaps they had given me a more exact date. The problem was, I hadn’t quite figured out how to make The Moment special, so the answer was always “no, not yet.” Chris would grumble a little, occasionally raise an eyebrow, and give me that hard, searching look as she read my face. But, there was no crack in my façade. I had a TS-SCI clearance back in my days in the Air Force, so I could keep a secret. While on the outside my face read, “I’m sorry, babe,” on the inside I was laughing my guts out—this was going to be fun.

I suppose you want the back story, however, the events leading up to the moment I popped the question, huh? There is a tale to be sure, a mixture of one part intrigue, one part romance, one part daring, and one part, well. . .lying.

After Christmas, LOMF (see our cruise TR for the definition of LOMF; here’s the link http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2795708 ) and I headed out to look at rings. We had been talking about getting married, and one quiet evening I did ask if she could manage to put up with me and be my partner in a legal sort of way (our hearts were there already). Her assent provided the impetus to go look at rings, and at our first stop, we found the setting and primary stone that thrilled her. We spent well over an hour fine-tuning the choice (the one pictured above), but we didn’t purchase it before we left. I wanted to ensure this ring was THE one, and I’ve always been leery of making a large purchase on a whim. I did put down a small deposit to hold the ring and stone while we looked at other jewelers to be absolutely positive of our choice. After a few hours of fruitless searching, we drove home to talk over the day. But, even I knew that the first ring was THE ring she desired.

Click to expand...

He went to JARED, girls!!! And it was THE very first ring I tried on! And. We both pointed it out at the same exact time! Does he know me or what?

Here, I must veer into a brief digression. Chris would accept a Cracker Jack ring and love it if my intent was pure and honest. She is that kind of woman—loving, understanding, dedicated, and unselfish. But, how can a man not want to give the woman of his dreams that perfect ring? There was never any doubt I would get it for her. I also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that had we bought the ring that day and waited for it to be mounted with the stone, she wouldn’t take it off her finger. I’d have been formally proposing in the parking lot! That was not going to happen. I told her that I would take care of getting the ring.

Click to expand...

I didn't even really need a ring. But. It's mine now, and I'm not giving it up!

What Chris didn’t know is that I had plan. . .a plan to make the proposal special. A few days after finding the ring, she had to return to work while I still had a couple of days off. Heh-heh-heh. On my last day before going back to work, I called ahead to the jeweler to ensure they could have the ring done that day, and I left to go pick it up. What you don’t know is that the jeweler was a two-hour drive away and that the jeweler would need three hours to complete the sizing and setting. Unknown to my lovely bride-to-be, I left for the jeweler within 10 minutes of her going to work that day. Naturally, the jeweler wouldn’t touch the ring until I had made arrangements to pay for the entire ring, not just that small down payment. I strode into the store, signed on many dotted lines, and then had to hang around the nearby mall waiting for the ring to be set, all the while hoping it would be ready in time for me to get home before LOMF got home from work. It was and I arrived home a full 30 minutes before she did. Whew! In that intervening time, I hid the ring (which had come in a nice gift box complete with a silk bow) in one of my drawers—a simple but effective hiding place since it contained my summer time shorts and this was the dead of winter.

“Well, as you know, it was a Signature series ring, and they needed to special order the correct-sized setting, they said. Honestly, I don’t mind waiting to get just what we want,” I replied. . .calmly, hoping she’d take the bait. She did. “Hmpf. Well, okay. I guess you’re right. . .but April?” She wasn’t giving up easily. “That seems like a long time out. But, I suppose they want to get it just right.” Yep, go with that, I thought.

From that moment forward, almost daily for the next two weeks, she asked if I’d heard any update, if perhaps they had given me a more exact date. The problem was, I hadn’t quite figured out how to make The Moment special, so the answer was always “no, not yet.” Chris would grumble a little, occasionally raise an eyebrow, and give me that hard, searching look as she read my face. But, there was no crack in my façade. I had a TS-SCI clearance back in my days in the Air Force, so I could keep a secret. While on the outside my face read, “I’m sorry, babe,” on the inside I was laughing my guts out—this was going to be fun.

I've decided (and I use that term loosely, lol!) that I will probably do my own hair, nails and makeup. I'm still considering having it all done for me, but I'm pretty sure I'd like to do the MK photo shoot the day of the wedding. From what I understand, it would be at like 5 or 6 in the am. We're planning to have the ceremony at 2:30. This means I'd most likely need to touch up and refresh myself anyway, so I was thinking why not just do it all myself from the get-go?

Thoughts, anyone?

Saturday is my dress fitting, and I'm super excited. P is going to be my official photographer, lol! I'm planning to do my hair, shoes and jewelry so I can see if the reality looks like it does in my head!